


Oh, Baby!

by GeminiMoon14



Series: Adventures of an Unfortunate Bard [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Babies, Baby Scanlan, Cuddle Pile, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Cute Kids, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Kid Fic, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25498993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeminiMoon14/pseuds/GeminiMoon14
Summary: Looking back on the situation, it was almost funny how one of Vox Machina’s members ended up like this. The heroes of Tal’Dorei being thrust into a, honestly very cute, set of circumstances. At least they had fun when it happened.
Relationships: Keyleth & Scanlan Shorthalt, Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III & Scanlan Shorthalt, Scanlan Shorthalt & Grog Strongjaw, Scanlan Shorthalt & Pike Trickfoot, Scanlan Shorthalt & Trinket, Scanlan Shorthalt & Vax'ildan, Scanlan Shorthalt & Vex'ahlia, Scanlan Shorthalt & Vox Machina
Series: Adventures of an Unfortunate Bard [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983430
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	Oh, Baby!

Looking back on the situation, it was almost funny how one of Vox Machina’s members ended up like this. The heroes of Tal’Dorei being thrust into a, honestly very cute, set of circumstances. At least they had fun when it happened.

Vox Machina had faced powerful magic users of many kinds, those who cared not for the pain or suffering they inflicted on people. The mages they faced now were uncaring of how they had tormented and abused the local citizenry and enraged that someone stood in the way of their experiments’ progression.

Scanlan had been a large factor in how the battle had gone, using Cutting Words and healing his friends whenever they seemed in danger of collapse. As a result, he had painted a large target on his back for the enemy mages.

He had just saved Pike from a spell by shouting, “Can’t touch her!” and doing a dance that caused the mage to lose focus on his spell. The mage growled at the laughter from their enemies, muttered a few arcane words under his breath, and a bolt of swirling balck and green energy slammed into the gnome bard.

Scanlan was knocked off his feet and sent tumbling back. He let out a cry of pain and went limp on the floor of the mages’ lair. Pike’s eyes went wide as she immediately held a hand towards the caster, a smirk on their face, and fired a Guiding Bolt at them.

The smirk turned into a silent scream as the radiant energy from her spell turned their face into a blackened pile of ash. Once that was taken care of, she ran to where Scanlan had fallen. The bard's form glowed a blinding white and faded away. She dropped to her knees beside where he had fallen and gasped in horror.

Where once had been the unconscious form of Scanlan Shorthalt was now a pile of clothing. The sounds of battle faded into the background as she stared at the remnants of her friend. Tears gathered in her eyes as she screamed, “Scanlan! No!”

At the sound of the cleric’s despair, Vox Machina made short work of their opponents with only a few wise enough to flee. Vax’ildan, placing a hand on her shoulder, was the first to her side as he took in the scene. He looked over the pile and found himself whispering a soft, “No. Shorty?”

Before they could become too lost in their grief, there came a high-pitched whine and some movement from the mound of fabric. Curious, Pike reached out and pulled back the silk shirt. There, laying in the silken pile of clothing, she saw a tiny body with brown curls and large brown eyes.

She let out a small gasp which drew the eyes towards her. Tiny hands reached up to her and the gnome infant squealed happily. She reached a gauntlet-covered hand towards the babe and whispered, “Scanlan?” As though he understood her, the baby let out a giggle and cooed.

Beside her, Vax placed a hand on the child’s head and asked, “That you, Shorty?” The gnome baby grabbed hold of the hand and squealed happily. Carefully, he scooped the child into his arms and covered him with the overlarge clothes. Pike gaped as Vax muttered, “You just had to get hit, huh.”

The child, still holding onto the half-elf’s hand, gummed onto a finger and cooed. Vax made a face and tugged his hand away. Scanlan frowned and reached for his hand again. When Vax made it clear that he was not letting the baby take the hand back, the gnome baby took hold of his long dark hair. Vax winced as the child, simply holding his hair, cooed and smiled at the softness.

Sensing his irritation, Pike removed her gauntlets and took the baby from his arms, cradling him close to her chest. The child grinned as he placed his head against her breastplate and sighed in content. She brushed a stray curl from his face as the rest of Vox Machina joined them.

Keyleth, upon spotting the baby, gasped in delight as she asked, “Is that a baby? Can I hold him?” Pike allowed the druid to lift the child into her arms. The baby squealed happily and grabbed at her antlers, successfully managing to dislodge them from their perch on her head. 

She gave the baby a smile as she used a free hand to fix her headpiece and inquired, “Where did you come from, little guy?” He gave her a small laugh before blowing a raspberry and kicking his covered feet. Pike gave her friends a nervous look as she answered, “I think that’s Scanlan.”

Vex, having arrived and taken a stance beside her brother, raised her brow, flipped and caught an arrow, and asked, “Really, that’s Scanlan?” The baby turned to her and saw beside her was Trinket. He made grabbing motions towards the both of them and whined. 

Keyleth grinned as she pushed Scanlan into Vex’s arms and exclaimed, “Your turn to try!” Vex put the arrow back in her quiver as the writhing bundle was dropped into her arms. Trinket let out a moan as he sniffed at the strange bundle in his mother’s arms. Vex made a face as she stated, “We should get out of here. At the very least we need to get Scanlan somewhere safe.”

They all trailed out of the fortress they had managed to invade, baby in hand. Vex had passed the baby back to her brother on the way out and once they were outside it seemed all the child wanted to do was explore. Scanlan kicked his feet as he stared at the ground longingly and whined.

Vax, eager to avoid letting the child grab at his hair again, complied. Once on the warm soil of the woods, the baby laughed and shrieked with delight as he sunk his tiny hands into the earth and lifted up handfuls of soil. Seemingly assured that Scanlan was not going to do anything to get into trouble, Vax turned back to the group to discuss what to do next.

While the group was distracted, Trinket made his way over to the baby sitting in the dirt wearing a much too large shirt like a nightgown. The baby went quiet as the bear lumbered over and snuffled at the tiny form. Scanlan whimpered as the lumbering beast nudged the baby onto his back.

Seeming to realize the absence of her bear, Vex looked around and saw Trinket nudging Scanlan. Panicking, she ran over to stop Trinket from hurting Scanlan when she heard a loud laugh. Vex paused as she watched the gnome baby hug Trinket’s snout and coo happily.

She felt a smile tug on her lips as Scanlan placed his head against Trinket’s and giggled. The others, having responded to her panic, looked on in shock as the baby grabbed at the bear’s fur. Trinket let out a low moan as he laid down beside the child and allowed him to rub at the exposed bits of fur.

Relieved that Trinket and Scanlan were getting along, Vex lifted the child off the ground and pulled him close to her chest. He resisted, making grabbing motions towards Trinket and whining. Vex felt her heart melt a little as she told him, “Now, now, darling. Trinket needs some rest though I’m sure he’d love your hugs.” Scanlan frowned and blew a raspberry at her as he pouted.

Vex cringed at the spit as Grog looked at his, even tinier, buddy and commented, “He’s so tiny. Are all babies that tiny?” Vax took Scanlan from his sister and asked, “You wanna hold him, big fellow?” Grog looked his tiny friend up and down, taking in the large round eyes and fragile body, and stammered out, “I-I don’t think I should.”

Vax ignored the goliath’s reservations and gently placed the baby in his large hands. Grog glared at the rogue as he insisted, “What if I hurt him?” Pike gave him a reassuring smile as she told him, “You won’t, Grog, look he’s perfectly happy right there.” 

He listened to her and glanced at the precious bundle in his hands. Scanlan was looking at the goliath in awe as he squealed and wiggled around in one gigantic palm. Grog smiled at the baby, holding his cupped hands close to his chest, and watched as the child crawled up to the goliath’s chest and pressed his ear against it.

Scanlan curled up right there, let out a small yawn, and fell asleep. Grog froze and murmured, “Aww, he’s sleepin’.” Vax smiled and gave him a punch in the arm as he told him, “See? Nothing to worry about. Let’s get moving.” Grog shook his head and told him, “Nope, I ain’t wakin’ the baby.”

Vex groaned as she told him, “Grog, we need to get back to town where it’s safe.” He glared at her, gestured to where Scanlan lay sleeping, and repeated, “I ain’t wakin’ the baby. Look at ‘im, he’s just a little guy.” Vex seemed to concede as she conceded, “Alright, but not too long or those bastards might come back.”

Grog’s expression turned smug as he continued to hold his friend close to his chest. They waited for an hour, taking the opportunity to rest and recuperate from the battle. During this time, Grog hardly moved, careful to let his little buddy rest peacefully. 

Eventually though, the baby awoke and started to fuss. Grog carefully lowered the child so that the others could see and told them, “I think he’s hungry.” Keyleth was the one who managed to put something together for him to eat. Using her abilities, she grew a few soft fruits and ground them into a paste. Scanlan ate it, but also spilled it all over himself as babies are wont to do.

Once they had managed to put together something to act as a diaper and cover their former bard, Vox Machina set out to return to the town that had contracted them to take care of their mage problem. Vex rode on Trinket’s back with Scanlan, making sure the child would not fall or grow too tired.

For his part, Scanlan seemed to enjoy the ride and rubbed at the bears exposed fur. Soon after the sun had set, they made camp and settled in. Keyleth produced some more fruit paste for the baby to eat and spoon fed him in her lap.

After being fed, Scanlan crawled over to Trinket and curled up in his front paws. Trinket huffed and laid his head beside the baby. With a tired giggle, Scanlan curled into the bear’s fur and passed out. Vex smiled at the scene as Keyleth melted at the sight. Grog laid beside the bear and watched in wonder as the gnome baby slept.

He did not sleep through the night, often waking others with his cries of distress. The first time this occurred, Keyleth had been quick to soothe the child. He grabbed at her with a tear stained face and buried his face in her shoulder. She gave him a patient smile and seated herself beside Trinket as they both gradually nodded off.

The next time he cried it was Vax who handled it. The half-elven male woke up to the sound of a screeching child. He groaned as he muttered, “I can’t believe I have to clean up your shit.” Once freshly diapered, Scanlan wrapped his tiny arms around his neck and whined. Vax sighed heavily as he sat beside Trinket and asked, “Is this what you wanted, you little shit-factory?” He ended up asleep beside Keyleth, unaware that his head had slipped into her lap.

Percy was the next to suffer from the baby’s need for attention. Somehow, Scanlan had managed to crawl over to Percy’s bedroll and, in true infant fashion, smacked him in the face. The human awoke with a start, barely keeping himself from reaching for his Pepperbox, and rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

He glanced at the baby and asked, “What the  _ bloody hell  _ do you want at this  _ ungodly _ hour?” The baby chose not to answer and instead smacked him in the face again and giggled. Percy sighed and turned over in an attempt to go back to sleep but, the sound of whimpering behind him made him turn back around.

Scanlan was giving him the most mournful expression he had ever seen on a baby and he found himself slowly bringing the child up to his chest. The baby tugged on his hand and tried, key word  _ tried _ , to toddle over to the pile on the other side of the campsite. Sensing a pattern, Percy nudged both Pike and Vex, infant in his arms, and whispered, “Seems the little one wants a cuddle session.”

Vex grumbled as she dragged herself over, half-asleep still, and laid on top of her bear. Pike shifted so that she was near Grog, who seemingly could not hear the baby’s distressed noises, and Percy collapsed next to Trinket. Satisfied with his handiwork, as much as an infant could be, Scanlan laid himself back where he had started the night.

The next morning led to much amusement as the members of Vox Machina realised what their friend had done. After a quick breakfast, they restarted their journey and managed to make it almost completely back to the town. They stopped for a quick lunch and to give their littlest member a chance to play.

Unfortunately, they had nothing  _ safe _ for a baby to entertain themselves with. Without realizing it, Vax’s daggers had somehow made their way into Scanlan’s hands. After a brief panic, Keyleth managed to lure him away with a flower she crafted. It was a good idea, if babies did not have the unfortunate disposition that anything new must go into their mouths.

He did not get far, the bitterness of the petals overpowered his developing taste buds and forced him to spit it out. Vax laughed loudly at the baby’s antics as his sister scolded him for mocking an infant. Keyleth gave him a weak smile as she Druid Crafted a crown of flowers and placed it on Scanlan’s tiny head.

The baby giggled happily and rolled onto his back while trying to look at the crown. Keyleth squealed as she lifted the child and exclaimed, “You are so cute!” Scanlan, almost as if he could understand her, cooed and reached for her staff. The druid smirked as she tutted and told him, “No, I need this for magic.”

He seemed to accept this only because he had finally managed to grab hold of her hair. He marveled at the texture and was in awe at the bright color. Keyleth smiled as she held him and commented, “I kind of like him like this.” Percy smirked as he leaned in, poked the child’s nose gently, and supplied, “Well he’s a lot quieter like this.”

Scanlan frowned at the action and smacked Percy in the face. Keyleth snorted as the baby knocked the human’s glasses off his face and they fell onto the baby’s. The child blinked in confusion and whined at the strange alteration to his vision. Keyleth removed the glasses from their perch on Scanlan’s face and handed them back to Percy.

As he placed his glasses back where they belonged, Percy shot the baby a look, pointed a finger at him, and told him, “Not funny.” Scanlan turned his head in confusion before grabbing onto the gloved finger and laughing. Percy sighed in annoyance but did nothing while Scanlan smacked his hand against Percy’s.

The journey continued with Grog carrying his little buddy, completely enamored with the child. In order to help carry the baby, they made a sling that wrapped around the goliath’s imposing figure. The barbarian was proud of the sling because, “It let’s me fight  _ and _ carry my li’l buddy.” 

All seemed to be going well, except that Vex noticed something large following them from above. She turned to tell the others just as it swooped down to attack. Grog, in a moment of rarely seen quick-thinking, turned his back to the creature and shielded Scanlan. As the talon’s of their enemy sunk into his back, Grog removed his warhammer, activated it, and went into a rage.

The baby heard the sound of a gunshot as he was tucked under Grog’s large form and started to cry. The others who were not fully aware of the situation, whirled around at the sound of Scanlan’s cries. Pike charged towards the creature tearing at Grog’s back and swung her maul.

The creature, a giant vulture it seemed, squawked in pain as it cawed loudly. It flew upwards and attempted to snatch at the babe tied to Grog’s chest. Grog’s warhammer, aflame, slammed into the beast and sent it careening away while the cries of the baby grew louder. The world pulsed red and the goliath resisted the urge to chase down the bird attacking. Instead he withdrew and shouted, “Fry that  _ fucking _ bird!”

Percy’s lips curled into a devious smirk as he loaded Bad News and fire crept over the beast’s feathers. It let out another squawk of pain as another round tore through it and a series of daggers sunk into its flesh. It let out a weak cry as an arrow sunk into its skull and it let out one last sigh before it fell to the ground.

Sure that the giant vulture was dead, Pike turned to Grog and exclaimed, “You’re hurt! Let me help!” Her hands glowed with Sarenrae’s divine energy as she used it to seal the wounds across his back. Grog seemed mostly unconcerned by the wounds as he murmured, “You okay li’l buddy?”

Tears raced down Scanlan’s face as he wailed. Upon hearing the soft words of the goliath, he reached his tiny hands up and grasped at the air. Pike peered at the infant and, after putting away her weapon, brushed his hair away from his face. 

Scanlan’s cries grew quieter as she lifted him into her arms and reassured, “It’s okay. The bird’s gone now.” He grabbed her amulet and whined but soon found himself cradled against her breast plate. He smiled and bounced in her arms as he reached for her snowy hair. She pulled back and chuckled as she asked, “What is with you and hair?”

Scanlan pouted as he found he could not reach her hair and settled for hugging her shoulder. She laughed and patted him on his back as she turned to the rest of the group. Vex sighed in relief as Scanlan came into view and remarked, “Well, that was exciting. Glad to see Scnlan’s alright.”

Scanlan seemed uninterested in the goings on around him as he curled himself into Pike’s breast plate. His hand still held onto the amulet as he let out a tired whine and fell asleep against her chest. The flowers on Scanlan’s crown accented the lovely image of a sleeping child. Once sure he would not be disturbed by the movement, Pike carried him forward and told the others, “Let’s get going, we’re almost there.”

Upon Vox Machina’s return, the townsfolk rejoiced and thanked them for their help. The baby, awakened by sounds of celebration, whined and curled further against Pike. She offered him a consoling pat on the back but he seemed to not like the noise. She turned to the others, told them she would meet up with them later, and left to find someplace quiet. 

She eventually came upon a grassy area in the town, most likely a park, and seated herself on the grass. The baby gnome immediately crawled onto the grass and rolled around in the dirt, giggling the whole time he did. Pike found herself laughing at the child’s antics and he made his way to her, a clump of flowers and grass in his hand.

Pike accepted the  _ unique _ bouquet, tucking it into her belt and made her way over to the tavern where her friends were celebrating. Thankfully, the bar was  _ not _ crowded due to the owner’s understanding and Scanlan seemed to be alright with the noise level. She carefully set the child on the bar and watched the child crawl over to Vax, peering into the half-elf’s cup.

She ordered a drink for herself while the others kept an eye on Scanlan. Eventually, as she was half-way through her tankard, a villager approached. He was a dwarvish man with a large beard and seemed to have had one too many drinks. 

He gave Pike an admiring look as he asked, “So yer the one that saved us, eh?” She gave him a polite nod but did not acknowledge him further. He came a little closer, setting her on edge, and said, “Aww, no reason to be like that. ‘M just trying to be friendly.” She gave him a pointed glare and told him, “You’ve said hello, let me drink.”

Seeming unable to take a hint, he placed his hand on the bar to pin her there and leaned in close. She opened her mouth to give him one last warning when a tankard flew into the side of his head. He whirled towards the rest of Vow Machina, every member sending him a glare, as Grog leaned over and warned, “I’d be on my way if’n I was you.”

The message finally seemed to reach his brain as he shuffled back before sprinting away. Pike gave the group a smile as she told them, “Thanks, you guys didn’t have to throw your booze at him, though.” They exchanged glances as Grog told her, “Wasn’t us.” Pike looked at them in confusion until Vex cleared her throat. The ranger smirked as she pointed a thumb at their infant friend and informed them, “That would be this little charmer’s handiwork. Looks like he still likes you Pike.”

Said child seemed pleased with himself as Pike patted his soft curls and told him, “Good work little buddy.” He giggled and blew a raspberry in the direction the dwarf had run off in. The group laughed as Vax raised his mug and decreed, “To Scanlan for thwarting unwanted advances!” The others raised a cheer to the baby as he blew spit bubbles and squealed at the cheers.

It was decided that Keyleth and Grog would watch Scanlan for the evening. Keyleth shifted into Minxie and curled around the baby, who delighted in rubbing his face in her fur. She purred as the child slowly sunk into her side and fell asleep. Grog settled himself in beside Minxie, smiling at the sight of the giant cat cuddling his even smaller friend.

Though Scanlan occasionally fussed in the night, he seemed more at peace and generally quieter. By some miracle, he slept through the night and when morning came he refused to leave Keyleth’s side. His tiny fingers wove through her fur and he pulled himself onto her back.

She allowed him to ride on her back as she stalked into the tavern. The rest of Vox Machina laughed as the baby happily squealed on the albino saber-toothed tiger’s form. The clash of the two creatures made a few patrons chuckle quietly as Vax pulled the child into his lap which allowed Keyleth to change back.

Once they had finished eating, after a few mishaps with what was safe for a baby gnome, Vox Machina decided to head back to their keep in Tal’Dorei. The journey was quick and peaceful, by nightfall they had made it home.

Laina immediately greeted them, though she did start at the sight of Scanlan who whined and curled into Vax’s shoulder at her approach. The human woman gave him a sympathetic look as she murmured, “Aww, you’ve been put through the wringer haven’t you little master?” He whined and rubbed at his eyes as she told him, “I’ll whip something up for you as quick as you like.” She turned her attention to the rest of her employers and added, “I’ll get something ready for you all as well.”

True to her word, Laina managed to put together a lovely banquet and offered to feed their infant friend. Worn out from the journey, they agreed and watched as she slowly fed Scanlan a thick broth. He smiled and reached for the bowl happily, perhaps frustrated he could not feed himself but acquiesced to being fed by their cook.

When dinner was finished, Laina all but shooed them to their rooms and helped Keyleth settle Scanlan into a make-shift bed made from an old crate stuffed with pillows. The baby seemed fine as long as Keyleth allowed him to grasp her hand for reassurance. Due to this, his bed was pushed alongside Keyleth’s. After offering to find something to properly fit Scanlan, Laina retired for the evening.

The next morning, the cook returned with a child’s gown and a set of thick woolen socks for Scanlan. Laina also brought a porridge that he seemed to enjoy while the others ate their normal breakfast. The human woman sighed as she told them, “He’s rather a darling thing isn’t he?” Some of Vox Machina nodded in agreement, the rest grudgingly accepted the statement.

After they had finished eating, Vex and Vax suggested they visit Gilmore’s with the thought that he could perhaps understand the enchantment. Always happy to visit their favorite shop owner, they made their way towards Gilmore’s Glorious Goods. 

Sherri, the half-elven employee, saw their approach and sighed. She glanced at them, seemingly about to tell them something, when she spied the infant in Percy’s arms. She lowered her glasses as she took in the sight of Scanlan’s large brown eyes looking at her in awe and reaching a tiny hand towards her.

Before Vox Machina could say anything, she pulled out a Scroll of Telescription and wrote something down before it just vanished. She turned back to the group and remarked, “Dare I ask what happened?” They all gave her a sheepish look of apology as the teleportation sigil in the back room lit up and a familiar voice called out, “Vox Machina! I see you’ve returned~.” 

A smile lit up Vax’s face as he exclaimed, “Gilmore! As always, good to see you!” The human smiled and wrapped Vax into a hug as he inquired, “Sherri told me you needed my help?” Vax winced as he gestured to Scanlan and told him, “As you can see, Shorty got himself into some trouble.”

Gilmore’s jaw dropped as he saw the child’s star-struck expression turn to him. A delighted smile made it onto the baby’s face as he kicked his feet excitedly and reached for the sorcerer. Almost seeming to hesitate, he took the baby from Percy and looked him over.

Scanlan, lips pulled into a toothless grin, stuck his fingers into his mouth and with the other reached towards Gilmore’s face. The baby managed to grab hold of the goatee and giggled as he kicked his sock-covered feet. The human winced and carefully disentangled the child’s fingers from his beard as he examined the enchantment.

Sherri suppressed a laugh at the gnome baby attempting to grab at Gilmore’s face as the sorcerer revealed, “It’s nothing too bad. The spell should wear off soon, until then just keep him safe and happy.” He tried to hand over the baby with little success; the child seemed intent on clinging to his robe and refused to let go.

There were a few quiet snorts of laughter before Vax stepped up and told the baby, “C’mon, time to let go.” Scanlan glared, as much as a baby could as the rogue lifted him and tugged the child away from Gilmore’s robe. When the baby resisted, Vex walked over, winked at Gilmore, and told Scanlan, “Come along, darling, I think Pike would miss your company.”

The baby gave her a confused look as she took him from her brother and asked, “Wouldn’t you like that? I’m sure Pike wouldn’t mind.” The baby, confusion still on his face, grabbed at his foot instead as he looked at Vex. She smiled, gave her brother a smug look, and told him, “ _ That _ is how it’s done, brother.” He flipped her off in response and thanked Gilmore for his help.

The walk back to their home was mostly uneventful, aside from a few encounters with people who admired the baby and asked about whose child they were they encountered nothing of concern. When they finally made it back to their keep, they spotted a familiar figure outside their keep.

Vox Machina collectively ran to the blond human and greeted her. Allura smiled at the group and returned the greeting. When she finally looked at them all, she noticed they were a member short and commented, “Forgive me but you seem to be a member short.” From his place towards the back, Grog looked at the bundle in his large hands as Vax told her, “Yes, one of our friends managed to piss off a couple of magic users and…” He trailed off as he allowed Grog to show her the sleeping form of Scanlan.

She gasped as she tentatively reached out to touch the baby’s head. Her fingers combed through the curls as she asked, “What happened?” The baby gnome shifted in his sleep and sighed in content at the gentle touch. Grog grinned as he asked, “Wanna hold’im?” She seemed to retreat but stopped when Scanlan whined in his sleep.

With some maneuvering, she managed to take the child’s small form into her arms and cradled him close to her chest. Scanlan curled into the embrace and let out another sigh as Allura continued to run her fingers through his hair. She gave them all a look as she repeated, “ _ What _ happened?” 

After a brief explanation and a small lunch inside the keep, Allura nodded as she corroborated, “Yes, it does seem to be impermanent though it is a little inconvenient.” Vex crossed her legs as she asked, “Why? What seems to be the trouble?” 

Allura paused before replying, “It’s just that we were hoping for some help with something infecting the woods near the edge of the city. We’ve managed to keep it from entering the city so far but we need someone to enter the woods to stop whatever’s causing this.” Percy gave her a small smile as he told her, “I’m sure we can handle it.”

Allura seemed confused as she gestured to the infant asleep in her arms and commented, “It seems you already have your hands full.” Vex’s face lit up as she quietly exclaimed, “Why don’t you watch him?! Just until we return.” The mage gave her a doubtful look as she replied, “I’m still needed to do further research on the infection. I’m only here to ask for your help.”

Vox Machina seemed confused as to what to do when Grog said, “I don’t see why we can’t take’im in the sling.” The others seemed to not quite agree when the ground shook. Scanlan started to cry as Allura tucked him against her body to protect him from anything that may fall.

When the shaking stopped, Pike took Scanlan into her arms and asked, “That’s what has been happening?” Allura nodded as she explained, “We’re trying to keep the infection from invading through the roots beneath the city but it won’t last forever.” 

Vex sighed as she turned to the others and said, “We have no choice, we’ll have to be very careful about where we go with him but this needs to stop before it spreads.” She pulled out the sling, tied it around herself, and tucked Scanlan in. The baby gave her a curious look as she explained to the others, “I tend to keep back anyways so I’ll look after him, Keyleth can stay close to protect us if we need it but for now we need to leave.”

The walls of Emon were covered in black vibes trying to burrow underneath and overtop in order to invade. People were running away and screaming as Vox Machina entered an opening in the wall, Allura having opened it and told them all, “Be safe, come back.” They nodded and ran into the overgrown area.

It was pitch black and Scanlan started crying again. Quickly, Vex started to soothe the child and whisper words of comfort. He eventually settled back against her as they made their way through the forest, careful to avoid anything they think may be a trap. Progress was slow but it was still progress.

Eventually, they managed to find where the magic was hailing from with Keyleth’s connection to nature. They had made it to the ruins that seemed to be the base of the dark magic spreading and trying to invade Emon, when they heard the chanting.

Vax scouted ahead, telling everyone to stay back as he glanced at the origins of the chanting. In the middle of the collapsed stone structure, there were black robed figures pounding their staffs rhythmically onto the ground. With each impact a wave of dark energy sunk into the earth and the vines would react. 

Vax pulled out a dagger and threw it at one of the robed figures. The figure yelled in pain and the circle of concentration was broken. The other five members of the circle immediately stopped their chanting and got into defensive stances as a spell was launched at Vax. He ducked and, using his earring, told the others, “It’s go time.” 

The fight, though fierce, was short. Aside from the average cuts, bruises, and scrapes of battle, Vox Machina were mostly unharmed. Vex had a cut on her cheek from one attack but Scanlan was unharmed. The baby even seemed to encourage her in battle with the way he desperately clung to her and whimpered in fear. 

Half of the mages were dead on the ground, two were unconscious, and only one was left awake and alive for interrogation. With the baby peeking out of his sling, Vex strode up to the man and asked, “What exactly was the plan here?” The man stayed silent, grunting in pain as Vax allowed his daggers to bite into the skin of his throat. 

Keyleth, sensing the intense atmosphere, took Scanlan away from her party member and walked a distance away. The gnome baby seemed content to play in the small patch of flowers the druid encouraged to grow. She crafted the baby another crown and gently placed it in his brown curls.

The one they were interrogating smirked as he spat through gritted teeth, “You brought a baby to a battle? Pathetic!” Vax smacked him as Vex exclaimed, “Well we couldn’t leave him alone in the city  _ you _ were trying to destroy! Don’t pretend to have the higher moral ground, you almost killed him!” The mage’s eyes flickered towards the laughing baby amidst the flowers and his face softened.

He sighed as he told her, “We didn’t want to hurt anyone, we were just trying to get them to move away. We kept the growth slow so that there’d be time to evacuate.” Vax gave him a look of disbelief as he asked, “You were driving people from their homes? To what end?” The man let out another sigh as he replied, “To protect our sacred grounds. Your town has been attempting to expand onto our burial sites and temples, we didn’t know what else to do.”

His eyes landed on Keyleth playing with Scanlan, using her powers to encourage vines to create a baby swing and slowly pushed him so that he would sway back and forth. He gave them all a sad look as he told them, “We wanted you all to go! If you hadn’t left then what came of it would have been your own fault!” Grog frowned and punched him in his face, knocking the man unconscious. 

They dragged the men back to Emon and explained the situation. Uriel thanked Vox Machina and assured them that he and the council would handle the situation to prevent similar occurrences. They were a little doubtful but decided to allow them to deal with the issue while they continued to look after Scanlan.

After returning home, they quickly discovered that even as an infant Scanlan loved music. While cooking, Laina had started humming and the gnome child had immediately responded with giggles and applause. He tried to mimic the tune with little success but was ecstatic when Percy had begun to hum experimentally.

The moment Scanlan realized Percy was humming, he crawled over and squealed. Percy laughed as he told Vex to try. She rolled her eyes but started to sing a little tune under her breath. The response was instantaneous; while she sang, Scanlan’s eyes focused on her and the babe pulled himself over to her and latched his arms around her leg.

She jumped a little and stopped singing, which caused the baby to start whining and crying. He stopped only when she started singing again and when the others decided to join in on the fun the baby went wild. Scanlan started rolling on his back and shrieked happily at the sound of singing surrounding him. There was laughter echoing through the halls as the baby rolled around happily on the floor and babbled as though he could still sing.

Strangely enough, his babbles strung themselves into something reminiscent of something he would hum under his breath when stressed. The incoherent song wrapped around Percy’s head and he felt his heart swell with the feeling that he could do anything. He flinched as the feeling encompassed him and the others seemed to respond similarly as the gnome’s song filled their hearts.

They all looked at the baby on the floor, who was still singing as best he could, as his form glowed with a vibrant, purple arcane energy. Keyleth lifted the child back into her arms as she slowly asked, “Did… anyone else see,  _ that?” _ Vax poked the baby’s chest, which let the child latch onto his finger, and answered, “Seems he’s still got something left.” 

Scanlan tugged the slender finger and pressed Vax’s palm against his cheek as he let out a soft coo. Tiny arms wrapped around his wrist as the gnome child latched himself to Vax and his eyelids drooped. With a smile, Keyleth deposited the baby into the half-elf’s arms and watched Vax shift so that Scanlan was tucked against his chest.

Vex’s lips curled into an amused grin as she remarked, “Aw, he likes you, brother. Maybe you should be in charge of changing him.” He glared at her and flipped her off with his free hand as he retorted, “I thought  _ you _ were the expert, sister.” Her grin, though still there, lost the smugness as she huffed and they glared at one another.

As though to ease the tension, though already minimal, Scanlan reached up with a hand and grasped Vax’s shirt with a small sigh. Vax and Vex looked down as the baby curled closer to Vax and let out a tired yawn. They postponed their sibling duel and walked away as Vax whispered, “Time for little guys to sleep.” 

The rest of Vox Machina watched as Vex, trailing after her brother, called back, “We’ll put him to bed. We’ll tell Allura about the magic thing in the morning.” Keyleth stretched her arms as she told the others, “I’m going to bed. Goodnight everyone.” She shifted into Minxie’s form and curled up near the fireplace.

When morning came, it seemed that their usually content gnome child was not feeling so joyful. He sat on Vex’s lap with his lips turned into a pout and was squirming in her grasp. Vex looked annoyed as she told the baby, “Calm down and stop fussing at me.” Scanlan stuck his tongue out at her as he kicked his feet unhappily.

Percy sighed as he held his hands out to Vex and told her, “Let me take him.” She passed the baby over and ordered, “Do  _ not _ hurt the baby, Percival.” He scoffed as he took the baby and wandered a distance away from the rest of the party. 

He placed the child over his shoulder and started to firmly pat at his back. The child’s whines slowly quieted until there was a loud belch from behind Percy and Scanlan seemed to settle down. He whined a little as Percy held the baby in front of himself and said, “Thank you for not soiling my coat.” 

He walked back over to the group and handed the child back to Vex. She passed the baby to Pike and Grog as she asked, “How did you do that?” Percy pushed his glasses back into place and answered, “Just something I picked up.” She gave him a  _ Look _ but chose not to comment. 

In the meantime, Grog was staring at the baby impressed. He grinned as he poked the child’s belly and commented, “That was a big belch for such a little guy.” Pike nodded as Scanlan giggled at the light prod and reached for the large hand. Grog smiled as he asked, “Can I hold’im?” 

Pike smiled and slid the baby into Grog’s enormous hands as the baby laughed. Grog smiled as he asked the baby, “Can you do that again?” The baby continued to giggle as the goliath gently poked the baby’s stomach until he let out another small burp. The baby looked a little shocked and Grog giggled at the belch. 

Hearing the laughter, Scanlan clapped his hands together like he was applauding himself and blew a raspberry. Grog laughed at the noise and copied the baby. Feeling encouraged by the mimicry, Scanlan repeated the noise even louder and waited as Grog laughed and followed suit. 

Pike laughed as she watched Grog, on his stomach so he was at Scanlan’s level, blowing raspberries back and forth with a tiny gnome baby. Vex groaned as she rubbed her forehead and called out, “Grog!” He ignored her as he watched the baby’s chin become covered in drool from the raspberries and laughed.

Scanlan laughed and shoved his fingers into his own mouth. Grog watched in fascination as the child then crawled towards Vex. The ranger gave the baby a slightly disgusted look at the spit that dribbled down his chin and groaned as she wiped at his face. He grumbled but could do nothing as she cleaned him up and scolded, “You shouldn’t get your spit everywhere.” 

Instead of listening, he grinned and grabbed her braid. She winced as the child tugged a little at it and dug his tiny fingers into the braid. He giggled as Vax called out, “Enjoying yourself, Vex?” She grimaced as she called back, “Shut up!” The baby shouted something incoherent at Vax as well and tacked on another raspberry for emphasis.

Vex smiled and ruffled the baby’s curls affectionately as she told him, “Very good, Scanlan, you tell him.” The baby leaned into the gentle touch and sighed happily as he clung to her waist. She smiled and patted his back as she remarked, “You are going to be  _ so _ embarrassed when you get back to normal.”

Scanlan simply curled up even further in her lap as the ranger shot jabs back and forth with her brother. He seemed perfectly happy to stay there until lunch when he started demanding attention from Pike in particular. Pike was understanding and looked after the baby for the day.

Unfortunately, Grog was enjoying Scanlan as a child so much the baby began to pick up habits that were reminiscent of the goliath. Vox Machina discovered this little tidbit of information when Vax lifted into his arms and earned a smack to the face as a result. Vax held the infant’s hand away but was struck by the other hand with a laugh to accompany it. 

He glared at Scanlan, who simply smacked him again, and told him, “No hitting, Shorty.” The gnome child paused for a moment before hitting him again and Vax held the child away from his face. Grog laughed loudly at the display until Vex smacked his chest and inquired, “Did  _ you _ teach him that?” Grog grinned and replied with a drawn out, “Maybe?”

Percy chuckled as he leaned in and asked, “Is he giving you trouble, Vax?” Vax’s response was to lift the child to the human’s face and allow the gnome to smack his face. Percy reeled back from the quick, but harmless, blows and glared at the rogue. Vax smirked as he mocked, “Is he giving you trouble, Percy?”

Keyleth huffed at them and took the baby from them as she remarked, “Real mature, using a baby to argue over dumb things.” She let the child rest his head on her shoulder as she walked away. Sheepishly, the men rubbed their necks and muttered a quiet apology. As they glanced her way, they caught sight of Scanlan blowing spit bubbles and waving at them.

The druid brought him into the garden and set the baby down on the grass. Scanlan simply laid on his back and watched the clouds in the sky shift and change as Keyleth used her magic. He smiled at the Sky Writing and cooed happily as Trinket settled behind him while Keyleth laid down beside him. 

The baby reached up at the sky and laughed as the half-elven woman crafted a small tree above his head. Scanlan laughed and tried to grab the leaves just barely out of his reach and eventually drifted off in the shade of his own personal tree while curled up next to Trinket.

When evening came, there was a noticeable difference in Scanlan’s behavior. He clung to whomever was holding him and cried when he was separated from someone. His body trembled and he would cry continuously. Unable to really help, Vox Machina decided they would stay with him in a show of support and spent the night in the main hall. 

The child seemed to calm, if only a little, while he was surrounded by friends. They leaned against Trinket, Pike and Vex beside Scanlan. Beside his sister was Vax with Keyleth draping over the other side of the bear. Grog was already snoring next to Keyleth and Percy had decided to lay beside Pike.

Vex curled her fingers through the baby’s hair as she whispered, “The spell is probably wearing off, poor dear.” They pulled a blanket a little further over the baby’s tiny frame as Keyleth offered, “At least he’ll be okay. It was fun for a bit.”

Vax smiled as he added, “I can’t wait to tell him about all this shit when he’s normal.” His sister slapped his chest and told him to hush as gradually sleep took the baby laying with them. Percy, keeping his voice low, told them, “I for one willnot miss him smacking me in the face because of Grog.” The others chuckled as Vex teased, “Was he too strong for you?” Percy ignored her and pretended sleep had taken him as they waited for the spell to be over.

Scanlan awoke in a pile of people, naked beneath a blanket, with no recollection of what happened. As he blinked his eyes open, he took in the sight of Vox Machina cuddled up around him. Pike had her head on his shoulder and the others surrounding him as he leaned against Trinket. 

He stood up, careful to not drop Pike in his shock as he loudly asked, “What the hell?! I’m no stranger to waking up in a pile of people naked but seriously what happened?!” Pike stirred first to the sight of Scanlan, blanket wrapped around his waist and ears tinged with red. 

She gave him a soft smile and told him, “It’s a long story.” From the other side of Trinket, Keyleth popped up and declared, “You were  _ such _ a cute baby! I didn’t know you had curls!” Scanlan looked at the others helplessly as Vax added, “A regular shit-factory.” Percy groaned as he contributed, “And a menace.” Vex smacked him and told him, “You’re just mad he smacked you in the face so often.”

Seeing the look on Scanlan’s face, Pike took his hand and led him inside as she said, “We’ll tell you all about it later, over breakfast.” He followed, numbly nodding his head in agreement as she guided him upstairs to his bedroom and managed to remark, “I’ve always pictured you taking me to my room but not like this.” She laughed and told him, “Wait until you hear what happened.”


End file.
